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A lawsuit seeking compensation for Chinese victims of germ warfare committed by the notorious Unit 731 was heard for the first time on Tuesday in Japan's Tokyo Higher Court.
It was the second trial accepted by a Japanese higher court after the Tokyo District Court rejected the appeal for compensation.
The Tokyo local court, which handled the lawsuit in August last year, acknowledged that the Japanese army did conduct germ warfare against China. But it also ruled against the Chinese plaintiffs on the grounds that the Japanese Government was not liable to pay compensation or apologize to the victims.
That was an irresponsible and absurd judgement.
According to China's investigations, the Japanese army launched at least 36 large-scale biological offensives across China from 1931 to 1945, causing enormous casualties among the Chinese people.
The Japanese Government certainly cannot make up for its war crimes merely through compensation and verbal apologies.
In fact, the compensation claims made by those affected are a way of seeking justice and changing the attitude of the Japanese Government towards war crimes its army perpetrated in the past.
Japan has on many occasions expressed its remorse to Asian neighbours for its past aggression. But the Japanese Government still needs to face up to and make amends for its past wrongdoings, especially its atrocious germ warfare, to win trust from others.
However, it seems that the Japanese Government has become accustomed to shirking its war responsibilities.
Last Thursday, the Tokyo District Court rejected compensation claims from Chinese people for health damage caused by chemical weapons that Japan's army left behind in China after World War II.
That decision was no less than an open affront to the victims as well as international laws.
The Tokyo Higher Court has now accepted the second appeal from Chinese plaintiffs for redress. And this time it is expected to do the right thing by the Chinese victims and international justice.
(China Daily May 23, 2003)
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